Married to Technology: The 'First Ladies' of Tech

There's been a bit of a hullabaloo lately over some comments made by Bill Gates. Specifically, he let slip in an interview that Mark Zuckerberg's longtime girlfriend, Priscilla Chan, is now his fiancée. It's certainly noteworthy for the reclusive CEO, since it took him seven years to update his relationship status.

The tech industry has many notable "first mates." Perhaps the most famous is Melinda Gates. She spearheads the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest transparently operated private foundation. Melinda has made an appearance at the TED technology conference and had a hand in developing several of Microsoft's products, Encarta and Publisher among them.

Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs' wife, currently heads an organization that helps under-resourced high school students prepare for college. She was also involved in the food industry with a Terravera, a natural foods manufacturer in Northern California.

Some top tech execs are not, or rather have not, been married to women in their field. For instance, Steve Wozniak, cofounder of Apple, was in a relationship with comedienne Kathy Griffin for a number of years. Elon Musk, cofounder of PayPal and Tesla Motors, is married to Talulah Riley, an English actress notable for her role in Pirate Radio.

Influential men often attract influential women. Hilary Clinton is a prime example. She went from first lady to Secretary of State. Jackie Onassis became an influential book editor following her time as first lady with John F. Kennedy.

Browse the slideshow below for those and other notable "significant others" among technology icons.